Mechanical starter for internal-combustion engines.



W. W. LEACH.

MECHANICAL STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 18, 1914.

1,165,008. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

UNITED STATES PA QFFICE- WILLIA w. LEACI-I, or PINELAND, TEXAS.

. MECHANICAL STARTER FOR.1INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Toall whom it may mm Be it known that 1, WILL AM WnLE'AoH, a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Pineland, in the county of' Sabine and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Starters for Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invent on relates to certain new and useful improvements in a mechanicalstarter for internal combust on engines.

The primary object of the present inven-. tion is to rotate the crank shaft of the engine bynew and novel mechanical means of simplified and improved construction for the purpose of starting the motor or engine.

A further object of the inventlon 1s to provide means that can be easily and concrank shaft- The above and other objects a're'jattainecl'v by the mechanism illustrated in the accom veniently operated at a. point remote from the engine, for instance, from the "drivers seatof a motor car. H

Further the invention aims to provide a starter, the parts of which are automatically returned after operation to theirinitial position preparatory to again rotating the panying drawings, in which 2' F lgure 1 1s a s1de elevation of a conventional form of motor or lnternal combustlon engine to which the present invention is applied, the latter being shown partly in section; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in section of the spring wound drum; Fig. 1 is an end -view of Fig. 3 showing the spring of the drum; Fig. 5 is an end elevation partly in section of the drum on the engine shaft; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the sleeve, and connected parts that are loose on the engine shaft; and'Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 6.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a conventional form of motor 1, having the usual crank shaft 2, to which latter a drum 3 is rigidly fastened by a set-screw 1.

A sleeve 5 is mounted on the shaft 2 and has one end thereof provided witha drum 6 and its opposite end provided with a ratchet wheel 7. The sleeve is rotatably mounted upon the crank shaft 2 and the 1 ratchet wheel 7 thereof is inclosed within i the drum 3. A collar 8 is rigidly fastened to the crank shaft 2 and abuts the drum 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

- of the sleeve to prevent endwise movement of the sleeve on the shaft 2.

For the purpose of rotating drum 3 from drum 6, a series of pawls 9 are arranged around the inner circumference of the drum 3 and are provided with balls 10 which pivotally fit into sockets 11 provided therefor in the drum 3. The pawls will, when the drum 6 is rotated in the direction of the in Fig. 3. In order to rotate the drum 13 a belt or strap 14; is attached, for instance by the rivet'15, to the periphery of the drum 6 :and is wrapped a number of turns upon itself and around the drum 6.

A. cable 16'has one end 16 fastened to the web 17 of the drum 6 and its opposite end 18 fastened to thefiange of the drum 13, and is wound" several times around the periphery of thelatter.

Inprder toreturn )osition after operation thereof, a clocklike coil spring 19 is fitted in the drum. 13 and has one end 20 attached to the inner circumference thereof, and the opposite end 21 attached to the stub shaft 12.

A cover 22 is fastened to the drum 3 to retain the pawls 9 in their socket bearings.

As shown in Fig. 6, the drum 6 has its outer side open and an end of the cable 16 passed through an opening provided therefor in the closed side or wall 17, which cable is knotted or otherwiseprovided with a projection that engages wall 17 This structure allows the cable to be easily secured to drum 6 and also enables the knot to be easily accessible through or from the open side of drum 6 should the cable break and consequently necessary to form a new knot thereon.

The end of the belt or strap 14 has a handle 23 attached thereto and located in close proximity to the driver of the vehicle so as to be accessible to the driver without his leaving his seat. 7

The operation of the starter is as follows: The driver grasps the handle 23 and exerts a pulling action thereon, thereby unwindmounted thereupon as more clearly shown Patented Dec. 21, 1915. i

' Application filed September 18, 1914. Serial No. 862,279.

the drum 6 to normal 7 ing the strap 1-1 from the drum 6, and as the, strap is'unWound, the cable 1-6 Winds around the sleeve 5 and unWinds from the periphery of the drum 13. As the strap 14 is beingunwound fromthe drum 6 and the latter is thus being rotated, the ratchet Wheel Which iseca'rried by the drum 6 is rotated with the latterin the direction indicated by the arrow by reason of the pawls 9 dropping by gravityinto engagement With the teeth of the ratchet heel, the rotation of the ratchet.

wheel imparting movement to the drum 3 through the medium of the pa Wls 9, thereby spinning the crank shaft 2. VVhenthe cable is being Wound on the sleeve 5 and unwound froin' the drum 13 the latter is rotated, \vind- 3 ing the spring 19 so that when the: operator releases the handle 23 the spring 19, is released and rotates the drum 13 in the 0pp0 site direction thereby Winding up the cable 16 around the drum 13 and unwinding it from the sleeve 5, Which places the starting mechanism in position to again be operated tospinor-rotatethe crank shaft, since the I unwinding of cable 16 from sleeve 5 causes. the strap 1 1 to be rewound on drum 6. What is claimed is: 1. In a starter,fa drum for securernent to the engine shaft havinginterior pavvls, a sleeve rotatable on the shaft, a ratchet Wheel on, one endofthe sleeve disposed within the drum and engaged with the paivls', a drumon the other end ofzthe sleeve having itsouter side open, a'spring Wound, drum having a cableconnected thereto at one end of'the latter, a cover, on, theshaft drurn extending therein, the opposite end of the cable being passedethroughusaidiopening and being proover the ratchet heel, the closed side or Wallof'the sleeve drum having'an opening vided With an enlargement which engages said-closed side orWall-of'the sleeve drum and is accessible through the open side of the latter, said cable being windableon the sleeve betvveensaid cover of the shaft drum and the inner side Wall of the sleeve drum, and a strap connected to thesleevedrunrto outer side open, a spring Wound drun hav ing a cable connected thereto at one end of the latter, a cover on the shaft driun extending over theratchet Wheel, the opposite end of the cable, being inconnection With thewheelwvhereby the cable Will beJVOUIlCl to on, thejs leeveat points between andldeter- V m'ine'dby the cover of the shaftdru nz and; the inner side Wall. of the sleeve drum, and

a strap connectedto the sleevedrum to rotate, the latter. I

testimony whereof I aflir: my signature presenceof tivowvitnesses. r I WILLIAM W. LEACH. Witnesses: i a D. BAXTER, r S. P. MoEiJRoY.

' Copies of thispatentmey; be obtained ferfiv e cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner 5 mm,; 

